Chapter 30

This voice… There’s no doubt about it—it’s Mr. Budo. Before he became a staff member, he was a top-tier adventurer, always the first to act in situations like this. We’re not strangers, so he’s probably worried about me, shouting so loudly to look for me… but because of that, the option of hiding and waiting this out has completely vanished. If I hide here, my conscience will hurt too much…!

Well, I did prepare myself for being identified the moment I called reception, so… it’s not great, but I’ve come to terms with it. Still, I feel a little resistant—

“Found yooooouuuuuuuu!”

…I’ve been spotted. Hastily wiping away the lingering tears in my eyes, I turn to face the source of the voice.

Deep down, I was holding onto a tiny shred of hope that Mr. Budo, having split up to search, would be the only one to find me. But that fragile hope has been utterly shattered. There they are, alright—familiar and unfamiliar faces peeking out from behind Mr. Budo, who’s standing wide-legged and pointing straight at me, yelling. I’m guessing that’s thanks to Tomokaze-san’s call for reinforcements. There are about 20 people here, give or take.

And as soon as they recognize me, they start exchanging glances and whispering. They’re probably saying things like, “Is that an elf?” Yes, it’s me. I’m an elf. …Hmm?

“Goooorgeeee!”

“Wait—Mr. Budo!?”

Mr. Budo, his face covered in tears and snot, is running toward me!? I appreciate the concern, but honestly, I’m not ready to handle something that messy! Friendship aside, I’m hesitant! Still, if I reject him here, it might leave a wedge between us, so I brace myself to accept—oh, he stopped.

“I can’t! If I do this, it’ll turn into harassment!”

“So you still have some sense of reason left?”

Not that I’d sue Mr. Budo for hugging me. If he had any improper thoughts, I’d just tattle to his wife, Fuyuko-san. But what’s with the adventurers going, “Ohhh!” just because I spoke? Am I some kind of celebrity?

“Excuse me, Mr. Budo.”

Amid all this, a man steps forward from the group of adventurers. Hmm, a good-looking guy, but I don’t recognize him. Oh, Aurora, sorry, can you sprinkle this potion on my back? The adrenaline is wearing off, and the pain is starting to kick in. Praise me for holding back tears this long.

“We heard that an adventurer was being attacked by a Red King Snake and came to help. That woman—no, elf—is the one, correct?”

“…Yeah, that’s right.”

Mr. Budo responds in a slightly lower tone, his tears and snot gone, to the question posed in an oddly flamboyant manner.

“Why didn’t you tell us it was an elf being attacked?”

“Would you have believed me if I had?”

“Not at all.”

Yeah, I wouldn’t believe it either if I were in his shoes. Saying a regular adventurer was under attack sounds way more plausible. And clearly, it brought this many adventurers here.

Ah, that’s enough, Aurora. It’s been a while since I’ve had to pour potion on a big wound, but the itchy healing process is as annoying as ever.

“Well, that’s not the issue. What I want to know is about the reward. I came here expecting to get materials from the Red King Snake, but when I arrived, it was already dead. This feels like a waste of time.”

“You were paid in advance, weren’t you?”

“That’s not enough. It wouldn’t hurt to share a bit of the Red King Snake’s materials, would it?”

Uh, it would hurt, wouldn’t it? I don’t know the specifics of how you all got involved, but this Red King Snake was taken down by me—well, me and Aurora—so there’s no sharing with this flamboyant guy. Still, pointing that out would just cause trouble.

Even now, I can see Mr. Budo’s pupils dilating slightly and a vein starting to bulge in response to Mr. Flamboyant’s words.

“It’s fine, Mr. Budo. Give them some of the Red King Snake materials as payment for the advance reward.”

“What!? What are you saying, George!?”

“Oh, the elf seems to be reasonable.”

“They came to help, however it happened. It’s only right for me to show some gratitude.”

I sound so magnanimous, but honestly, I just want to get out of here as quickly as possible and return to the hidden area to start streaming. For that, I don’t mind giving away a small part of the Red King Snake materials. Just not all of them.

“So, Mr. Budo, could you take the Red King Snake back and distribute the materials for me? I’ve got something I need to do.”

“Well, alright… but are you okay? Your body?”

“The injuries are healed, and I’ll be fine. Now, I’ve got to go! Aurora!”

“—!”

With my injuries and stiff back taken care of, I grab the dropped treasure chest, stand up firmly, and launch myself into the air with a strong kick. After escaping the Red King Snake, I’ve gotten a good sense of how to move my body. I sail over the adventurers with ease. Hmph, someone’s aiming their smartphone to record this? But I don’t have time to deal with that. The sun is starting to set. I need to hurry back, prepare, and start the stream—!!